14 And we have seen and do testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Saviour of the world. 15 Whosoever shall confess that Jesus is the Son of God, God dwelleth in him, and he in God. 16 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. (1 John 4:14-16 KJV)
Seeing God Through Love
He proclaims the fundamental article of the Christian religion, which reflects the love of God: We have seen and testify that the Father sent the Son to be the Savior of the world (1 John 4:14). This shows Jesus’s relationship to God—he is the Son of the Father, uniquely so, and fully God with the Father. It also shows his role toward us—the Savior of the world, saving us by his death, example, intercession, Spirit, and power. He became the Savior by the Father’s will and with the Son’s agreement.
The apostles had seen the Son of God in the flesh, in his life and miracles, in his transfiguration, death, resurrection, and ascension. They were convinced he was the only-begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, and were compelled to testify, “We have seen and do testify.” The truth’s importance demands testimony; the world’s salvation depends on it, and their firsthand experience confirmed it.
The apostle then points to the great privilege that comes with acknowledging this truth: Whoever confesses that Jesus is the Son of God, God lives in him, and he in God (1 John 4:15). This confession includes faith in the heart, verbal acknowledgment, and a consistent life, despite the world’s pressures. As Paul writes, No one can say that Jesus is Lord except by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:3). So, the one who confesses Christ is indwelt by God’s Spirit and enjoys knowledge of and fellowship with God.
God’s love is revealed and experienced through Christ: We have come to know and to believe the love that God has for us (1 John 4:16). The Christian revelation is fundamentally the revelation of divine love. The gospel narrative is the story of God’s love; all God’s dealings with his Son display and promote that love. God was in Christ reconciling the world to himself (2 Corinthians 5:19).
God is love (1 John 4:16); he is infinite, essential love. He has an unparalleled, immeasurable love for the world, demonstrated in the mission and work of his beloved Son. Some see God’s love as strange or unbelievable, arguing that it seems unlikely he would give his eternal Son for us. Admittedly, it is mysterious and beyond comprehension—but that is the wonder of Christ’s unsearchable riches. It’s a mistake to let the greatness of God’s love be an obstacle to believing it. When God wants to reveal his power or wisdom, he makes a world like this; when he wants to show more of his glory, he creates heaven for the angels.
But when he intends to show the greatness of his love—his highest love—not just to us but to the angels and powers above, not just briefly but for eternal admiration and joy, what might he do? Is it not fitting that he would give an eternal Son, rather than create one for the occasion? In doing so, he truly demonstrates his love to us. What will the God of love not do when he seeks to reveal and commend his love—to heaven, earth, and even hell—and to move our affections by showing that he is love itself?
What if, as some thoughtful minds may consider, God’s love in Christ is the foundation of heaven’s glories, of the salvation of this world, and even of the torments of hell? That last idea may seem shocking. But what if those in hell are condemned because:
- They despised the love of God already revealed.
- They rejected further offered love.
- They became unfit to be loved with divine delight?
If their conscience bears witness to these things—especially rejecting the highest display of divine love—while most of God’s intelligent creation is eternally blessed through that same love, then it is fitting that all creation would bear the inscription: God is love.
So, whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him (1 John 4:16). There is deep communion between the God of love and the soul that loves. This includes love for all God has made, according to each one’s place, gift, and relationship to him. The one who abides in love has God’s love poured into the heart, bears God’s image, is sanctified and sealed by the Spirit, and delights in the contemplation of divine love—and soon, will live forever with God.